Madrid to Host Hispanic Heritage Celebration with Major Events

From October 3 to 12, Madrid will hold the fifth edition of its grand celebration of Spanish-language culture, featuring over 150 events and numerous international guests, it was announced today.

Coinciding with Spain’s National Day (October 12, also known as Día de la Hispanidad), the festival will once again highlight Hispanic heritage, with Argentina as this year’s guest country.

Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, revealed that the festivities will include a new main stage in Plaza de Colón, where artists such as Gloria Estefan will perform. Estefan will also deliver the opening proclamation on October 3.

Other performers include Spanish singer India Martínez, the band Contrabando, Cuban Buena Vista Social Club star Eliades Ochoa, Dominican artist Henry Méndez, Argentine rock group Babasónicos, Colombian band Bomba Estéreo, Spanish singer María José Llergo, and the duo of Mocedades and Los Panchos.

A flamenco show from Corral de la Morería, a historic Madrid venue, will return to Plaza Mayor as part of the celebrations. Additional stages, such as Plaza de España, Puerta del Sol, Puente del Rey, and Plaza de Colón, will also host cultural events throughout the festival.

Other musical acts will include Orquesta Aragón, Aleesha, Bareto, Bon Calso, Çantamarta, Dillom, La Ganga Calé, El Twanguero, Gerardo Morán, Henry Méndez, and Karina La Princesita, among others.

Díaz Ayuso stated that Madrid’s Hispanic Heritage festival has become one of the most significant cultural gatherings on both sides of the Atlantic, emphasizing "our deep fraternity, our remarkable history, our vibrant and thriving present, and our future of shared endeavors."

The event will also pay tribute to the late Peruvian Nobel Prize-winning writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who passed away this year, with screenings of films based on his works and discussions about his literary legacy.